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Fuel poverty made worse
• CAMDEN Council’s residents face steep energy price hikes, partly due to high oil prices, but also the council.
On July 25 EDF raised electricity prices by 17 per cent; on July 30 British Gas added 35 per cent to its bills.
EDF customers can control bills and earn Nectar points by entering meter readings online at www.edfenergy.com
But, Camden has installed locked cabinets around all electric meters, only allowing access to “competent’’ people; essentially caretakers, and EDF Energy staff (they supply electricity to the council itself).
Health and safety is used to justify this change.
Although no risk assessment has been produced, it could prevent accidents.
But, how can you read your meter if you go to work and come home when caretakers aren’t around, or you are disabled?
And who pays the caretakers for the extra work involved?
Why those poor tenants and leaseholders through their service charges.
Hardly “better and cheaper”!
One solution is for caretakers to put readings through doors. Another could be to train volunteer residents to be keyholders and take the readings for their fellow residents, hopefully free of charge.
The problem was that the first we really knew of this plan was when the doors were locked and we wanted to read our meters.
No real consultation was undertaken to make the transition smooth and we cannot get officials to regard the situation as urgent.
BILL HARVEY
Deputy Chair
Camden Leaseholders’ Forum
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